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I can enjoy myself.

Reedy Hopkins (US Air Force, 1983 - 2011) talks about how PTSD treatment can help.

Transcript

The program I went through, in addition to

re-living and regurgitating and recounting

the incidents or incidences, you had homework assignments.

And it started off in baby steps,

identifying those things that made you aware.

One big thing for me is being in a crowd.

So, I took it in baby steps.

The first thing I started doing was attending

the very small but crowded farmer's market here, in Charleston,

every Saturday during the spring and the summer.

And then, as I felt more and more comfortable and with

the coaching of my counselor, I expanded it to other things.

And one of the crowning achievements, it's crazy to say,

but one of the crowning achievements is my daughter,

my 18-year-old daughter, wanted to see

an Alice Cooper concert this summer.

And lo and behold, who was right there

in the middle of it with her?

I was there.

And that was a big step for me, to be,

number one, in a crowded place, that was fairly dark,

so I couldn't really see a lot what was going on.

And if you're an Alice Cooper fan, you know what kind of

folks follow Alice Cooper, so it kept me pretty vigilant,

but after being able to do that, you know, I've been able to

go to other crowded venues and not be quite as

hyper-vigilant as I have been in the past, or uncomfortable.

I can actually enjoy myself, somewhat.

I enjoyed Alice Cooper.

I wish he'd come back.

The next concert she wants is KISS. [Laughs]

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